CHAPTER 32: 100 YEARS P2
~32.2~
*****
“What are your plans in this era?”
Alfia shook her head. “Actually, I’m not busy. Everything is relatively normal. Your shard is in a life in the stars in this era living a rather peaceful life. Az and Ez aren’t being rowdy. Father is in the living world being relatively docile. Grandfather is in his domain doing whatever he wants to pass the time. And Zane is in Tartaros doing whatever he wants there. Olympus, Oceanus, Orthrys, Atlas, and Erytheia are blocked off from Greater Elysium, but they are being peaceful with each other, have been for a while. The past few billion years have been boring. In fact, the last time I had to do anything was when you were Elise Arbell. I’m bored. Want me to stick around and train the lot of you while you’re here?”
“You could send us back right away.”
“Yeah, I certainly could.” Alfia shook her head. “But you want to take advantage of the hundred years it’ll take. In fact, you could stay as long as you want or even wait out the ten million years between now and your present.”
“I’ve considered that.” Kye glanced at the others. “One hundred years minimum, up to ten million years and some change.”
Alethea smirked. “Imagine the looks on everyone’s faces if we show up with ten million years of progression.” She then shook her head. “While you, Sanae, and I would be perfectly okay with that, after all it’s a drop in the bucket to us, time-wise, I don’t want to put out Athy, Lily, or Ally. They’re not used to ridiculously long time spans like we are. Our perception of time is quite different, love.”
“I will miss everyone, but... knowing that I will get to see them again... whatever you all think is best, I will follow,” Athanasia said. “Whether it’s one hundred years or ten million years, I’ll do whatever is necessary.”
Liliana was bringing in a platter and added, “It does not matter to me, Princess. You are the priority.”
“Won’t you miss your children?”
“Huh? Children?” Athanasia looked between the two, her attention sparked. “Miss Liliana has children?”
Kye quickly went over the number of children they all had.
“Oh, my.” Athanasia looked at Alethea with tears in her eyes. “You’re transgender? Oh, sister, I’m so sorry.”
Alethea shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I learned to cope with it.” She snapped her finger and said, “<
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“What the hell?”
“Yeah, that’s my question, too,” Alfia said. “What the hell? You have the Morph skill? That isn’t given out by the system naturally. That has to be granted by me, Eli, Eve, or Ma... something else.”
“Because I died due to intervention from outside of Elysium, Eve restored me, gave me a new body, and the ability to switch. I just haven’t shown anyone except present company and my other two spouses.”
“Other two spouses?” Athanasia asked. “You mentioned that earlier. Polygamy?”
“Short version,” Kye said. “Alethea, myself, and two others are married in a four-way marriage. We were a closed polycule until my dear sister Sanae was born. Only the polycule and those close to us knows that Alethea and Sanae are secretly dating, because Sanae-slash-Alfia and I are one soul split into two and it would be unfair to my other half to keep our love to myself, and blah blah blah. Look, we have a hundred years or more to talk about things.”
Athanasia smiled apologetically. “It’s fine. I’m very open about these sorts of things. I look forward to learning about everything!”
*****
After dinner, Kye went to the training facility within Elysia’s residence, accompanied by Alethea and Athanasia. It was very spacious inside, easily big enough to fit four hundred martial arts students practicing their techniques, twenty across by twenty deep.
“Everything is still in place,” Kye said as she picked up a wooden training sword from a rack along the wall. She tossed one to each of the sisters and grabbed another for herself.
Athanasia gripped the sword and looked up at the two girls in front of her. “I can’t believe I’m about to train with-”
“None of that,” Alethea said with a shake of her head. “If you’re going to be star-struck over us because you’re going to have to be star-struck over yourself.”
The blonde princess was taken aback. “What do you mean?”
“You are my sister. Shi-chan is your sister-in-law.” The pink-haired girl smiled. “You are quite a big deal, Athy. You just don’t know it yet.”
“You are too kind...” She paused and smiled apologetically.
“What’s the matter?”
“Your name is somewhat difficult to shorten. The only idea I have is my own nickname. It fits both of our names.”
Alethea thought about it for a moment. “Mom’s nickname is Lanti. Hmm... Start with A or Start with L, yeah... ‘Alethea’ is difficult to make a unique nickname for.” She shrugged. “You don’t have to shorten it, but I’ve had so many names... you could use one of my other names or whatever you want.”
“Aya,” Kye said matter-of-factly.
The two looked at her in awe.
“What?”
“How did you come up with that so easily?” Alethea asked.
“It’s your name, minus the ‘m’.” The platinum blonde shrugged. “Starts with ‘a’, like Alethea, and is literally three quarters of your soul name. Seems fitting to me.”
Athanasia smiled and hugged her sister, “Aya!”
Alethea giggled and replied, “Athy!”
Kye pointed at herself, “Eli. Or Shi-chan, because my wife here is so stuck on that nickname, she’ll never forget it.”
Alethea pouted. “That life had a huge impact on me, okay? Hmph.”
Kye planted a quick kiss on Alethea’s cheek and added, “You’re acting really cute right now. I love you!”
The pink-haired girl lightly pushed her partner away. “Shush, you.”
Athanasia was giggling the whole time. “You two are very heartwarming.”
“Oh, not you, too!”
*****
Revision: 2024-10-11